Heat by Heat Results - June 1978

With both sides promoting their own riders to cover absences, the Dukes were held to a draw at the Shay by Ipswich.  With Mike Lohmann on World Team Cup duty for Denmark in Finland, it was always going to be down to the rest of the top 5 to score enough points, but despite double figures from Graham and McKeon, and a return to form for Pusey, Halifax failed to get over the line, despite leading by 8 points at the mid-way stage.  They were indebted to Mitch Graham and Ian Cartwright to salvage a point in the final race, whilst Eric Boothroyd was publicly critical of the performances of Klaus Lohmann and Eric Broadbelt afterwards.

Drawn against League Champions White City, the Dukes needed a big lead to take to Wood Lane for the second leg of their Knock-out cup tie.  But in a sub-par performance, they were held to only 9 points, with only Mick McKeon and Ian Cartwright coming out of the meeting with any credit.  Chris Pusey failed to win a heat again, whilst Broadbelt and Klaus failed to respond to recent criticism.  The Dukes management were also angry at the non-participation of Gordon Kennett for the Rebels, who received a late call-up to ride in the World Pairs Semi-Final in Hungary.  Track-specialist Dave Morton was called up as a guest, and the margin would have been narrower had he not stopped in his last 2 races.  The Dukes now had an uphill battle to stay in the cup...

It took the Rebels 6 races to wipe out the Dukes 9 point lead, and when Mitch Graham crashed out in the following race, the writing was on the wall.  Graham had won his first race impressively, but without him, the Dukes had to rely on Mike Lohmann and Ian Cartwright to fight on, with Pusey scoreless, and Broadbelt failing to score until a pointless last heat.  The Kennett brothers 5-1 over Klaus Lohmann and Broadbelt in heat 10 put the tie out of reach, as the Dukes season, full of promise only 6 weeks earlier, now looked like spiralling out of control.

The Dukes season went from bad to worse as they threw away an 8 point lead to lose at home to a 2-man Wimbledon.  Chris Pusey pulled out after one ride, saying he was not fit to race, whilst Broadbelt's wretched run of scores continued.  The Dukes needed a 5-1 from the impressive Cartwright and Mitch Graham to win the match in the final race, but Graham, who had not made a start all night, broke the tapes in his eagerness to get in front.  The Dukes reserves had already used their full quota of rides, so the loss was confirmed.

A welcome break from league action saw the 1978 staging of the annual Dews Trophy, won in convincing style by Belle Vue captain Alan Wilkinson, from a stubborn Ian Cartwright, with ex-Duke John Titman in third.  Apart from Wilkinson's victory, the meeting was noteworthy for the chaotic heat 8.  Broadbelt lost power suddenly, and McKeon was unable to avoid his team-mate - Broadbelt was excluded, whilst McKeon had no spare bike - both out of the meeting.  Reserve Alan Stansfield came in, only for Mitch Graham to break the tapes, replaced by reserve Paul Wood.  But Stansfield then fell, causing a further stoppage, with Phil Crump and Wood awarded first and second.

Halifax finally got to the end of a desperate June with a 17 point defeat at Wimbledon.  WIth Mick McKeon on his way to Denmark for the Intercontinental Final, and with Eric Broadbelt out of action, the Dukes drafted in Kenny Carter and guest Alan Grahame, but with only Klaus Lohmann and Ian Cartwright winning a race, the outcome was inevitable.  Cartwright and Pusey grabbed a 5-1 in heat 7 to claw the Dukes back to 3 points behind, but 4 heat advantages for the Dons in the last 5 races took them clear, with Johns and Hines unbeaten.